Silent in the Grave discussion

Ms. Raybourn's first novel is a well-written suspense story set in Victorian London. Don't the publisher fool you (Mira), this is not a romance. The characterizations are well developed as the narrator tries to who poisoned her husband with the help a man of dubious character.

Although I think Brisbane is a bit too talented and perfect at times, I love this series.

Maybe adore would be a better word? Maybe.

I couldn't put it down.

Loved it too - can't wait until the next installment...I have read the first three. I must say that when I read about Brisbane, all I can see is Robert Downey Jr. - :) Nice, incredibly smart, not conventional, handsome and..... Really enjoy the mystery pieces of it though - the only irritation I had as I read them is that Brisbane cannot decide if he wants his lovely, intelligent wife to be his equal or to be controlled. The squabbles can be a bit tedious - though I understand that sets the tone of the relationship to some extent.

Anyway - read the next two - you will enjoy them.

Robert Downey Jr is perfect for Brisbane! I've read the first three and liked the third, Silent on the Moor, the best by far. It's annoying that the next one isn't available in paperback in the UK and I don't have an ereader, going to have to get it second hand.

When is the next one coming out? What's it called? Is it not available in the US yet? I'm so excited - can you tell :)

The mystery is enjoyable, though somewhat predictable. That is why the book deserves its three stars. The linguistic presentation, on the other hand, is truly awful. The language is very modern, AND FAR FROM THE LANGUAGE OF THE 19th CENTURY. The syntax is NOT Victorian. And it is full of anachronisms. Unfortunately, I am going to choose this novel for my students to show how NOT TO WRITE a NEO-VICTORIAN book. The editors really did an embarrassing job of not spotting these linguistic drawbacks. It is a shame that somewhat, who is an English major, (and Raybourne is) demonstrates such an inappropriate linguistic skill.

Neo-Victorian is a post-modern trend in literature, trying to imitate the canons of the Victorian literature. If you really want to read quality Neo-Victorian mysteries (mysteries set in the Victorian England with believable and multi-dimensional characters, read Possession by Byatt(it is not only a mystery, but also a double love story) or The Meaning of Night by Michael Cox. They are definitely challenging and out of your comfort zone, but hey, this is a true pleasure of reading: challenge yourself with beautiful and difficult books.
Unfortunately, Silent in the Grave is a bad example of Chick Lit and somewhat wishy-washy and smarmy despite the most promising first sentence.

I am a fan of this series. People read for different reasons. I read for pleasure, I have a 50 to 100 page limit, if I am not engaged out it goes. In fact I have just discovered 2 new to me authors, Caro Peacock, and Emogen Robertson. Love them.

I love all of her books. One of my favorite authors.

I loved it, except that I knew who the killer would be in the third chapter. But I think that kind of thing takes practice.

If this discussion is evolving beyond the first book, as it appears to be, I want to say that I liked the first three books. I'm 3/4 through Dark Road to Darjeeling, and I'm losing my patience with Lady Julia. Why does she -- after a long, long honeymoon with Brisbane -- try so bullheadedly to compete with him as a sleuth? How can she expect him to see her as a partner when she keeps secrets from him? I hope the next book has her beyond this flawed mindset....

gertt wrote: "Charlene wrote: "If this discussion is evolving beyond the first book, as it appears to be, I want to say that I liked the first three books. I'm 3/4 through Dark Road to Darjeeling, and I'm losin..."

Thanks -- I just found your comment after I finished the book and wrote my review. I really will plan to read the fifth book to see if patience is a virtue in this literary endeavor!

I just finished this one and did enjoy it. I'm looking forward to the next one.

As far as the mystery/romance categories go, from my perspective it was a mystery novel with romantic elements. That seems to be the case with other series (e.g. Her Royal Spyness, Sebastian St. Cyr mysteries, and many others). Having a romantic story-line does not stop the novels from being mysteries. Usually, the romantic elements add to the characters' relationships and development, contributing to the development of the series as a whole.